The Prancing Horse steps up its solidarity with Japan

Tokyo, 10 October – Around the Japanese Grand Prix weekend there were many initiatives which involved the Prancing Horse, showing support for the victims of the earthquake that hit Japan back in March. On Saturday in Suzuka the team hosted a family that had lost everything because of the quake and tomorrow, Ferrari Japan, at the Japanese launch of the 458 Spider, will put up for auction the nose of a 150° Italia used in the Australian Grand Prix, which bore the Japanese flag and the message “Forza Giappone.”

The event takes place in Tokyo’s Zojoji temple, the most important Buddhist sanctuary in the country and in attendance will be Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso: the two Scuderia drivers are spending a few days in the Japanese capital, before heading off for Yeongam and the next round which gets underway this coming Friday.

Stefano Domenicali, on the other hand, has already left Japan and is returning to Italy. However, the Ferrari Team Principal managed to find the time to launch a photo exhibition called “Rossoxrosso” at Tokyo’s Uraku hotel, which was organised by Japanese journalist Masami Yamaguchi, with the backing of the Department of Asian and Mediterranean African Studies of the Ca’ Foscari University in Venice, with contributions from Ercole Colombo. The photos are up for auction with the proceeds going to the victims of the earthquake and can be seen at www.rossoxrosso.com.

Domenicali arrives tonight in Maranello, where he will meet up with Technical Director Pat Fry, as they both tackle a couple of days work on the design of the 2012 car before jumping on a plane once more, this time heading for Korea.